ante-natal classes-yes or no?

[Minxy]

My as-useful-as-a-chocolate-teapot midwife didn't bother telling me about these! I asked at my appointment last week if I could go on any and was told I should have booked by 22 weeks.

Hmm, thanks for letting me know! Bit late now.......

Anyway, cause it's my first, and as I'm a swotty boff I fancied learning a bit about stuff in a classroom but will probably miss out now.

What are you experiences? Are/were they worth it? Or am I really not missing out?

 

[Keely]

if you have still got the chance to go I would, I found my classes 50/50 some good and some boring.

but at least you can make the decision yourself xxx

 

[Izzy]

My midwife told me about parentcraft, but when i was told to book they were full up already. My hospital covers a big area yet the classes only cater for 15 people!

Tried the NCT classes locally too and they're full as well!

I think its really bad, i'm 19 and a first time mum, with no experience at all in looking after babies, and theres no help on offer! I feel completely unprepared

Definately check what NCT classes are available to you locally, you may have to pay for them but at least its something to look into.

Izzyx

 

[SarahH]

My classes have been good.... but to be honest they dont teach you anything. It just goes into a bit more detail on pain relief, breast/bottle feeding.

The best thing about my classes has been meeting others in the area that are due around about me.... it sort of like here.... compare how you're feeling and that.

I didnt have to book anything tho - they just automatically put you down for the classes and it's up to yourself if you go or not - although the Scottish system may be different to you in England.

S. xx

 

[lauramumof2]

I didnt learn anything at the classes that I actually thought was usefull.
The hospital visit was the best bit.

 

[hayley]

i went to 2 out the 4 classes... the first i really enjoyed... it was all about labour! didn't really tell me anything i didn't know before but it was nice to hear MW's talking about it...and nice to see other women worrying about the same things i did... the 2bd clas was about pain killers.. and to be honest the MW's made me a little scared! they told me all the bad points for every pain killer... played on my mind a little so i never went to the 3rd class.. it was breast feeding any way (i'm only bottle) they said they can't discuss bottle feeding - hospital policy! which i thought was pathetic... and i was away for the 4th...

so if you get the chance then i'd go.. but if you don't then your not really missing out on anything.. if you've read a few books then you know it all already.

x

 

[Minxy]

Thankyou all for the feedbak, you've put my mind at rest.

I've been reading lots, and of course learning on here, and I'm flexible enough to take stuff as it comes.

It's still nice to know there aren't any deep, dark secrets only released in class!!

 

[Hazzaboo]

that happened to me. i was my mum that said i should be going to them & i asked my midwife n she said "oh didn't i tell you about them?"

Muppet! lol

Yes if you get chance go, even if you don't learn to much (which i'm sure you will) you'll make friends with people who r in the same boat as you and prob stay friends for ages after.

it's the best thing that came out of going, i have some great mates & all the kids play together!!

 

[Keely]

it was breast feeding any way (i'm only bottle) they said they can't discuss bottle feeding - hospital policy! which i thought was pathetic
x

My classes spoke about bottle feeding for about 5 seconds then went on about breast feeding, although i am going to try and breast feed I thought it was really bad that they bang on about it sooooo much.

Izzy ---- I really wouldnt worry about not going as I also knew all the info from this website and reading mags etc, they never taught me anything i didnt really know. plus when baby gets here you will have either us to ask any questions or the midwife on the phone. xxxxxx

 

[Yvanne]

k i did reply to ur post(so i thot) but i actually made a new post sorry!! wasnt tryin 2 steal ur thunder

 

[lauramumof2]

it was breast feeding any way (i'm only bottle) they said they can't discuss bottle feeding - hospital policy! which i thought was pathetic
x

I read something in the hospital bf room that said that all midwifes MUST encourage bf wether or not they think its working or not.

I would like to think that if there was a problem or if that the midwife thought i should stop that I would get the proper unbiased help i needed. It made me quite angry that only one side of the story was being put across.

 

[Minxy]

I really want to give breatfeeding a try but have maintained all along I WILL NOT BE BULLIED about anything.

My sister is a milder, shyer character than I, and when she had her first baby she felt really pressured. Her baby didn't take to the breast and lost weight rapidly over her first few weeks, but the midwives were 'don't give up, keep trying'

It was only when the LO was admitted to hospital with severe dehydration that she ended up being bottle fed. I see pictures of her from that time looking so frail and starving and it's makes me sad

 

[lauramumof2]

I know what you mean! I dont think they mean to bully and i cant put my finger on it but its as if they try and work on your insecurity about being a new mum and thats how they get you to keep going.
I was like your sister and once I seen how much weight jess put on after she got a bottle I was really really angry to the point I swore I would never breastfeed again. Im going to give it a go but its on mines and the babys terms and no one who doesnt know us from adam will be telling me what to do.
You are really vunerable after the birth and I would urge you to write down your feeling about this so that when you have the baby and you are all over the place and maybe not as strong as you are now then you can read back and know that was what you wanted.

 

[SarahH]

My class last week was all about breast feeding and the class this week is all about formula etc.

The health visitor said she is supposed to promote the breast feeding more but she does a class on both as breast doesnt always work for everyone.

S> xx

 

[Bagpuss17]

I was told to book mine when I had my first midwife appointment at 10 weeks.

I didn't book them until much later but thankfully there was free spaces still available.

I found them to be very useful as did my husband. Yes, I knew a lot of the information as I did a lot of reading well before getting pregnant and during my pregnancy but we still learnt new things.

It was also really useful to learn things that are specific to the hospital.

I would recommend them, if you don't find them useful you don't have to go back to the rest of the classes.

 

[Amanda]

My as-useful-as-a-chocolate-teapot midwife didn't bother telling me about these! I asked at my appointment last week if I could go on any and was told I should have booked by 22 weeks.

Have you got my midwife???? She's still not said anything about mine!!!!

 

[hayley]

sorry to go on again abou breast feeding - but i'm worried that the MW is going to force me to try it. I know how i want to feed my baby and thats bottle. I'm quite a strong person and can't be forced into giving something a try when i don't want to.. but like others have said! after labour your quite low... i've put it in m notes that i'm bottle feeding but whether the MW reads them or not i'm also going to tell my DH and mum (who are my birth partners) to stress that i'm bottle feeding only.. why do these MW's feel the need to pressure new mums? i'm getting annoyed and angry now thinking about it...

if breast is best why are so many of my friends and familys babies so healthy on bottle? I'm not putting breast down! if it suits you and your baby then brilliant but bottle feeding doesn't make us mean mums...

x

 

[cassi]

my mw didnt tell me anything about them anyway, my last app i heard the heartbeat and was rushed out cause she was running late for her other appointments...i was really pissed off!

 

[Minxy]

know what you mean Cassi!

At my last appointment the two midwifes (midwives? sp) were that busy chatting about the previous patient and reading her personal details like phone number out in front of me (!) that I had to remind them to take my blood pressure.

What a service for a high risk patient who has weekly blood pressure checks for pre-eclampsyia!

 

[Miracle babe]

I have to say that for me personally going to Parent Craft was probably one of the worst things I ever did and didnt prepare me for labour AT ALL. The reason for this was they just taught you about the text book delivery with no thought to the fact that everyone is different and we all labour for different lengths of time etc. I ended up not having pain relief etc when I should have done because I was CONVINCED that what they had told me was the case - they also continued to tell me this throughout my labour even when things WERENT going textbook and as a result I had a bad time and my daughter distressed big time. They also banged on and on about breast is best and anyone who wanted to use a bottle was made to feel tiny.
This was however 7 years ago and I'm quite suprised at how things have changed since then so dont listen to everything this cantankerous old dinosaur has to say